Tens of Thousands of Gazans Need Medical Evacuation
A growing humanitarian emergency is unfolding as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urges countries around the world to open their borders to thousands of Gazans who require life-saving medical care. According to MSF’s medical evacuation coordinator Hani Isleem, countless lives are hanging in the balance as patients wait for treatment that is unavailable inside Gaza.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that more than 8,000 patients have been transferred for medical care since the conflict began in 2023, over 16,500 people remain on the official list needing urgent treatment abroad. Isleem stresses that this figure does not reflect the true scale of need.
“The real number is three to four times higher,” he said during a briefing at MSF’s headquarters in Geneva.
Countries Taking Patients — but Not Enough to Meet Demand
More than 30 countries have accepted patients from Gaza so far, but MSF notes that the contributions remain extremely limited.
A few nations such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have admitted larger numbers of evacuees, while others have taken far fewer:
- Italy: Over 200 patients
- France: 27 patients (as of late October)
- Germany: 0 patients
In November, Switzerland welcomed 20 severely ill children. Isleem recently accompanied 13 of them — including infants suffering from critical heart defects, children battling cancer, and patients requiring complicated orthopedic surgeries. Several of these young patients were rushed into immediate operations upon arrival to prevent permanent damage.
Evacuations Drop After the Rafah Crossing Closure
Early in the conflict, approximately 1,500 patients per month were being evacuated. However, after Israel closed the Rafah crossing into Egypt in May 2024, the monthly average collapsed to around 70.
Even after an October 10 ceasefire deal brokered by the United States, the rate of evacuations did not significantly improve.
Surprisingly, the Israeli approval rate for medical evacuation requests has increased, with denial rates decreasing from around 90% to approximately 5%. But Isleem insists that even this lower rate is unacceptable:
“No patient should be prevented from leaving Gaza to access life-saving treatment.”
Political Delays Costing Lives
Despite more approvals from Israel, the overall process remains painfully slow. In October, only 148 evacuations took place; November saw 71; and MSF expects no more than 30 patients will be able to leave in December.
MSF warns that over 900 people have already died while waiting for evacuation — and the true number is likely higher.
Isleem criticizes the political and bureaucratic delays imposed by receiving countries:
“Governments are taking too long to decide, to approve budgets, or to finalize acceptance processes. Patients cannot wait for these discussions.”
Children Favored, Adults Ignored
MSF also highlights a troubling trend: nearly all countries prefer to receive children, while adults — who make up three-quarters of those needing evacuation — are often excluded.
Additionally, many governments reject patients who need to travel with family members, especially if an accompanying relative is a male over 18.
Isleem calls on governments to abandon these selective criteria:
“This ‘shopping list’ approach must stop. Decisions must be based on medical urgency alone.”
